This invention relates generally to a method and system for routing telephone calls and, more particularly, to a method and system for rerouting telephone calls directed to a private branch exchange via a private corporate telephone network.
At least some companies having offices at various locations utilize a private branch exchange (PBX) for handling incoming and outgoing telephone calls. A PBX is a telephone controller that switches calls between users on internal lines while allowing all users to share a certain number of external phone lines. A PBX eliminates requiring an external line for each user. In addition, in a company telephone system that utilizes a PBX, an employee located in State A can call another employee located in State B by using a routing number assigned to the employee located in State B on the company PBX. By so doing, the State A employee can speak to the State B employee over the telephone.
Rearranging telephone routing in a PBX, however, may create havoc for a company that utilizes a PBX for handling incoming telephone calls. A company that utilizes a PBX may be required to rearrange these telephone calls if, for example, a telecommunication disaster occurs at one of its facilities that utilizes a PBX. For example, if a company has a central help center that utilizes a PBX for incoming telephone calls and the company help center is located in an area where a telecommunication disaster occurs which renders the PBX routing numbers assigned to the help center nonfunctional, then an employee trying to contact the company help center will be unable to so through the PBX. Thus, an employee requiring assistance from the company help center will be unable to receive the needed assistance unless the telephone call directed to the company help center is rerouted to an appropriate person. The company can lose both time and money when its employees are unable to receive or are delayed in receiving such assistance.
In one aspect, a method of rerouting telephone calls directed to a private branch exchange (PBX) located at a first site to a second site wherein the PBX has at least one nonfunctional routing number is provided. The method includes providing a corporate long distance telephone system, providing a telephone hunt group, programming a plurality of routing numbers assigned to the first site PBX such that calls directed to the first site PBX are routed through the corporate long distance telephone system to the telephone hunt group, programming the hunt group to forward calls to a dedicated long distance telephone system, and programming the dedicated long distance telephone system to route calls to at least one of an alternate PBX and a dedicated wireless telephone system located at the second site.
In another aspect, a method of rerouting telephone calls directed to a private branch exchange (PBX) located in a designated disaster area to an alternate site is provided. The PBX has at least one nonfunctional routing number. The method includes providing a corporate long distance telephone system, providing a bank of telephones configured in a hunt group, programming a plurality of routing numbers assigned to the PBX located in the disaster area such that calls directed to the PBX located in the disaster area are routed through the corporate long distance telephone system to the bank of hunt group telephones, programming the bank of hunt group telephones to forward calls to a dedicated long distance telephone system, and programming the dedicated long distance telephone system to route calls to at least one of an alternate PBX and a dedicated wireless system located at the alternate site such that a designated person receives the calls.
In another aspect, a telephone routing system for rerouting telephone calls directed to a private branch exchange (PBX) located at a first site to a second site is provided. The first site PBX has at least one nonfunctional routing number. The system includes a corporate long distance telephone system, a bank of telephones configured in a hunt group, a dedicated long distance telephone system, and at least one of an alternate PBX and a dedicated wireless system located at said second site.
In another aspect, a telephone routing system for rerouting telephone calls directed to a private branch exchange (PBX) located in a disaster site area to an alternate site is provided. The disaster site PBX having a plurality of routing numbers assigned thereto and at least one routing number designated as nonfunctional. The system includes a corporate long distance telephone system, a bank of telephones configured in a hunt group, a dedicated long distance telephone system, and at least one of an alternate PBX and a dedicated wireless system located near the alternate site. The system is configured to reroute calls directed to the disaster site PBX through the corporate long distance telephone system to the bank of hunt group telephones, forward calls to the dedicated long distance telephone system, and route calls to at least one of the alternate PBX and the dedicated wireless system located near the alternate site.